Christin Khan is currently flying for the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center right whale aerial survey team based out of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. She has previously led right whale aerial surveys with Wildlife Trust and the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. Christin completed her Master of Science in Biology at San Francisco State University with research on vocal development in harbor seals; her work was published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

Monday, August 16, 2010

{Press} Scientist sees hope for rare right whales

www.thestar.com | August 4, 2010

"HALIFAX—A scientist who studies rare North Atlantic right whales says measures aimed at protecting them could be having the desired effect.

Amy Knowlton of the New England Aquarium says there are early signs fewer of the animals are dying from ship strikes — one of the large animals’ greatest threats.

The United States and Canada have both introduced initiatives to divert ships around the whales or slow vessels down when the animals have been spotted.

Knowlton says a dead whale discovered last month in U.S. waters appears to have died from a ship strike.

But that was the first one she was aware of since 2008 when some of the protections came into effect.

The research scientist says more needs to be done to protect the remaining 400 whales from fishing gear that can ensnare them and cause lethal infections."